“With their qualities of cleanliness, discretion, affection, patience, dignity, and courage, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?" - Fernand Mery, Her Majesty the Cat

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~Gilda Radner

Dear Friends,

I appreciate all of you so much. You care about the animals, and you care about me. I get at least one request every month asking about my health. The truth is, I have never worked such long hours, never had such back pain and yet never felt so good.

I am still finding it hard to believe that--thanks to your help--we haven't had to euthanize even one animal. Whenever my back is hurting so badly I can hardly move, I simply look around at how far we have come from a few short weeks ago. It is a miracle what all of you have accomplished, what WE have accomplished, together. I can live with the back pain. I couldn't have lived with the heart pain if we had not saved these wonderful babies. Each and every one of you is a blessing for which I am constantly thanking God.

To be sure we are able to keep up these great results, please help us by:

 If you are a regular donor and have not already done so, please try to increase your monthly support by 10%. Many, many thanks to those of you who have continued to increase your support by 10%--or even more.
 If you do not send support on a regular basis, please try to do so. No amount is too small!!! We very much appreciate whatever amount of support you are able to give—at any time!!
 Please send Home Depot or Lowes gift cards so that we are able to buy fencing materials and other supplies always needed.

Our feed store has changed management, and the new manager is demanding payment on our bill ASAP. UPDATE: As of May 1, the feed store manager has increased the cost of our food by $3 per bag. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot—but it becomes a significant amount when you buy as many bags as we do The cost of food remains our largest expense—and we urgently need your continuing support to keep all the animals well fed. Even at discount prices, we spend $120 per day on food. And this will increase as the pups grow.

This week, I encountered one of the dregs of society. I was called to the Park to pick-up a baby rabbit some child had "rescued" when I noticed a truck parked off in some brush by the road. A man was out beside the truck, yelling at something I couldn't yet see. I backed up to see if I could offer any help. "Yes, you can help. You can mind your own d*** business," he yelled at me. With that, he raised his arm and brought down a leash on something by the truck. I immediately jumped from my car and ran over. Cowering at his feet was a beautiful dog. "I'm trying to make this d*** dog go away, but he keeps coming back to my house. I will kill him if he follows me back today!" Then he hit him again. "If you hit him one more time," I yelled at the man, "I will have you arrested." With that said, the man walked toward me with his arm raised. "I told you to mind your own d*** business. Do you want to get hurt telling me what I can do with my own dog?" I was so angry that I pushed past him and caught the dog’s collar in my hand. "He is coming with me," I said. "He never has to be tortured by you again." The man laughed at me, "You will soon see what a mistake you are making, you stupid bit**. That dog likes to get hit, just like my stupid wife did."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I got the dog into my car, wrote down the man's license plate number and got away from there as quickly as I could. I later discovered he had served time for aggravated assault on his wife and children. Now that I know where he lives, I feel it necessary to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't have any other animals coming to live at his house. All I can do is pray he never gets another animal. I have passed my information along to every adoption center and animal shelter for six connecting counties. I only hope it helps save some other animal from his abuse.

ANIMAL HEALTH—One of our supporters recently sent us the following very positive report. The Nevada Humane Society in Reno lowered admissions to their facility by eight percent simply by creating a free phone service which they entitled the “Animal Help Desk.” Their director sees “it as part of our mission to encourage and enable people to do right by their animals by helping them keep them in their homes whenever possible. They report that in one recent two-week period, 60 percent of owners decided to try alternatives to surrendering their pets. These include behavior modification, training, environmental changes, health care information and finding a new home for the pet themselves.

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WISH LIST ADDITION—The shelter computer has “died.” Not having a working computer is definitely a hardship for us. If you have or know of an “extra” computer in good working condition that could be donated, please let me know. UPDATE: The email access I had through a friend is no longer available. Please do not email me until/if I am able to obtain a computer. You may text me at the address shown above.

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STAMP REPORT—
Since our last report, we have received 160 stamps from Mardi Hoofnagle, Connie Rice, Jamie Reagin, and Lois Holbrook. We presently have one book in inventory. Keep up the great work!!

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IN MEMORY

From Fred Mitchell “in memory of Margaret Mitchell.”

From Elizabeth Mitchell “in memory of my mother, Margaret Mitchell, who taught me in word and deed that All Creatures Are Truly Special. Thanks, Ma! Much love, Elizabeth.”

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THANK YOU—In addition to the specific “Thank Yous” listed below, we want to thank each and every one of you who send us support—we couldn’t make it without you!!

To Carol Clenney for your much appreciated monthly check. Your consistent support is very much appreciated.

To Mary Jane Johnson for your consistent and very generous support. It means so much to be able to count on your help.

To Mildred Ferrell for your monthly donation to help pay vet costs. It is very much appreciated!

To Gloria Overbey for again sending help for our vet bills—with the extra 10%.

To Nancy Johnson for your lovely Guiding Eyes for the Blind card and words of encouragement.

To Connie Rice for your support once again to help with food expense or vet bills—and the lovely card.

To Avis Buchanan for helping with our vet bills.

To Bill Underwood for your generous support “in spite of that April 15 obligation.” (Smile) And we don’t forget Winston Churchill’s “Never Give Up” advice.

To Kathy Beckman for your gift of a Lowes card.

To Dena Roesler for your support, which will be matched by your company.

To Jennifer DeWeese for the support sent earlier this year, which has now been matched by your company.

To Michael and Lilli Godzosa and Barbara Kanya for your monthly on-line support.

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ITEMS ALWAYS NEEDED AND WELCOME

Many items we use to care for the safety and comfort of our animals are available at either Home Depot or Lowes. Gift cards from either place are much appreciated.

Long Island, New York, May 3, 2013—Jackie Bonasera was drying her hair on the first floor of her home when she heard her pit bull barking loudly and continuously. She immediately ran out and saw fire in her garage. The barking saved the woman from being trapped. She ran out of the house and her neighbors ran over—and then she thought about the dog. “He saved my life. I have to save his.” So she put her robe over her face and ran back in and grabbed him, ran back outside—and watched her home burn. Her daughter, Alexus Stallworth, later said that from now on the pit bull will be called the “town hero.”

South Bend IN – March 27, 2013--There are miracle cats, and then there’s Zuul. When the tabby's owner, Patricia Kobalski, had her home nearly destroyed after a private jet crashed into it last Sunday, she was forced to evacuate. Zuul was nowhere to be found. When demolition crews arrived and the wrecking ball began swinging, the furry survivor jumped out of a wall in the nick of time. Zuul was rushed to a vet where he required a procedure to puncture an air socket on his lung, but the kitty will pull through. "It survived a plane crash," said neighbor Denise Sult, "four-degree wind chill with icy rain, and then it survived the house being demolished … If that cat didn’t spend eight of its nine lives, then I don’t know what other cat has."